There are two main schools of health system in RPG: hit points, and what I'm going to call wounds. Wounds includes FATE stress boxes, Savage Worlds, and the Harm from Apocalypse World, for the sake of this discussion. Hit points includes GURPS, D&D, Star Wars d20's Vitality and Wound Points, and so on.
The defining difference (and trade-off, in my view) between these systems is that hit points allow more flexibility and simplicity, at the cost of having to track them (which slows down mass battles). Wounds systems generally involve very little bookkeeping; once a combatant's Toughness is exceeded, they are out of the fight, or wounded in the case of player characters and other "specials". Or are "stunned" or "shaken" in the case of Savage Worlds.
What do you prefer, /tg/? Do you like a system that uses hit points, or one that uses "Toughness" and wound boxes. What advantages do you think each has?
pls take strawpoll, because why not: http://strawpoll.me/6289191
Wounds that are gained by being inflicted a threshold amount of damage in a single turn/short amount of time.
>>44220937
I'm a fan of the hit point system because it lets me fluff the damage as... for example, overexertion. In real life we would typically go down in one or two hits but hit points seem contrary to that... but if you fluff it different, your halfling who scurries around and "attacks" by getting enemies to accidentally hurt themselves will start running out of luck, and your graceful swashbuckler will get tired of sidestepping all the enemies blows. This has the added bonus of making warlord style heals entirely about inspiring your allies to fight harder, push just a little more. Y'know?
>>44220937
I like hitpoints when abstracted into plot-shield and fatigue, because it's the most cinematic system I've encountered
I like the system in Mutants and Masterminds.
When you take a hit you roll toughness against the attacks DC. Pass? Great, you tanked the hit and are none worse for wear. Fail? Your toughness is decreased. Fail by a lot? Toughness decrease and status effects up to and including being incapacitated.
>>44220937
GURPS also has people get stunned, knocked down, knocked unconscious, bleed and get crippled. It's gud.
>>44222142
I like it too. I like you anon.
I don't prefer one over the other. Both are enjoyable systems. The Riddle of Steel wound system works for it. GURPS's more intricate HP system works well for GURPS. Dead simple HP like D&D is very easy to learn and use. They're all good for different purposes.
Both are good, but I think in the end I prefer hitpoints. It's probably a matter of nostalgia because I cut my teeth on RIFTS, GURPS, and DnD, and even to this day those three games are the ones I play the most.
>>44220937
I prefer Shadowrun's damage system. It allows for large differences between characters, but that's largely due to training and equipment, not abstract concepts like narrative or level. In terms of natural ability to sustain damage (that is, before armor), everyone's still operating at a human level. No matter how tough or skilled you think you are, a grenade exploding at your feet will end you unless you're wearing the best armor in the game.
The system also makes it pretty clear on how an attack played out. If the attack roll didn't get any successes, then it was a complete miss. If the defense roll exceeded the attack roll, then the target's maneuvering caused the attack to miss. If the defense and attack roll are equal, the attack grazed the target without doing serious harm. And another roll determines to what extent your armor and toughness negate the attack, if at all.
Also, it handles knockdown and wound penalties in a way that I like. If you get hit hard enough, you get knocked flat on your ass. And then you will struggle to stand up again because you are injured and in extreme pain from a shot that knocked you flat on your ass. If you get shot, that hurts a lot and it becomes harder to focus on things like aim properly or defend yourself. You might complain about a death spiral, but that's how it is in real life; each time you get hit, it becomes a little harder to defend and retaliate.
>>44220937
I prefer systems where you accumulate wounds and then have to make some sort of saving throw against death.
Why not both?
>>44220937
we homebrewed a damage system based on hp , but with loosing x% of max. stamina and stamina regeneration for y% of hitpoints lost
the same can optionally go for agility (pain) and intelligence (concentration)
certain damage conditions can fuck up your concentration like being burned alive , which also fucks your hitting rolls and such
Different systems for different styles of games
